FURCATION MORPHOLOGY RELATIVE TO PERIODONTAL TREATMENT - FURCATION ENTRANCE ARCHITECTURE

The furcation entrance diameter of first permanent molar teeth has been investigated in a sample of 114 maxillary and 103 mandibular teeth, and found to be smaller than the blade face width of commonly used periodontal curettes in 58% of the furcations examined. It is suggested that because of this size disparity curettes when used alone may not be suitable for root preparation in this area as part of periodontal therapy. Alternative methods of instrumentation require clinical appraisal before recommendation. The buccal furcation entrance diameters of the maxillary first molar teeth examined tended to be smaller than either the mesiopalatal or distopalatal. Similarly the buccal entrance diameter in the mandibular first molar teeth examined tended to be smaller than the linqual. The mesiodistal widths at the cementoenamel junction of both maxillary and mandibular first molar teeth were found to have very low correlation with their furcation entrance diameters. Large teeth therefore do not necessarily have large furcation entrance diameters.